Monday, June 28

Party Survivors

---
Sunday's headache slowly dissipated
as the morning's church service and
class time ended. Thankfully. Especially
since I led the class.



The stress thing married yardwork, I guess.
The party's over. Never to be repeated.
Captured in pixelated, grey matter and analog form.
The birthday girl is still learning about
all the gifts she was given.

"And this makes a birdie sound, like this!"
"And do you know how to get the bubbles out?"

Grammy is the champion through all of this.
Full of energy and love, making the world go round.
There they go. Out to the backyard to test Angel's
new bubble-making toy in the Delta breeze.

Thank you, Lord, for these little ones who are
exploring their little worlds with true enthusiasm.
We old cogers think there's nothing more to explore.
Languishing on the edge of discovery, we would rather
be spoon-fed and diapered right before we exit this
"nothing new" existence. Ecclesiastes chapter 12 gives
a perfect rendition of this phenomenon. Oh, to be "without
hope in the world." What a miserable estate.

But hope is sure and sweet to those whose hope is Christ.
Saint Paul writes, " If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now is
Christ risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits
of those who have fallen asleep . . . For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ all [who believe in Him] shall be
made alive." I Corinthians 15:19-22

Saturday, June 26

Another Birthday Party

---
SpongeBob has capitulated to Nemo this year.
The party favors include underwater swim goggles
for the 9' pool, so you can see the bottom dwellers.

Angel will be 4 July 2. A whirlwind life in which
a spinning entourage of family holds on to the side
of the ship.

The divorce should be final soon, but the consequences
will never end.

Thursday, June 17

Having a Good Father's Day

---
The wheels of Providence turn ever surely, ever slowly.
God's temporal orchestra playing out each day and hour.
Pretty awful music to most.
A chalkboard and fingernail shudder.
Loved ones die.
Homes burn to the ground.
Marriages dissolve.

And in the midst of the pain God says these extraordinary words:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
"

He doesn't say all things are good, but that all things are 'working
together' for good. The purposes, rhyme and reasons for life's horrors
will be made known in time. All questions will be answered. All tears
wiped away.

Of course, the implication is that all things are working together for
'bad' to those who don't love God, who don't know Him or follow His Son.

Will it be a good Father's Day for you?

Sunday, June 13

Nothing Was More American

---
"Yes, he did not shrink from denouncing Moscow's 'evil empire.'
But he realized that a man of goodwill might nonetheless emerge within
its dark corridors. So the President resisted Soviet expansion and
pressed down on Soviet weakness at every point until the day came when
communism began to collapse beneath the combined weight of these
pressures and its own failures. And when a man of goodwill did emerge
from the ruins, President Reagan stepped forward to shake his hand and
to offer sincere cooperation.

Nothing was more typical of Ronald Reagan than that large-hearted
magnanimity - and nothing was more American.

Therein lies perhaps the final explanation of his achievements. Ronald
Reagan carried the American people with him in his great endeavours
because there was perfect sympathy between them. He and they loved America
and what it stands for - freedom and opportunity for ordinary people."

Baroness Margaret Thatcher

Monday, June 7

An Untold Story About Ronald Reagan

---
[This story was called into radio talkshow host, Tom Sullivan, on
KFBK (Sacramento) on June 7, 2004, as heard by me, Wordydave. The
caller was at the following event.]

****************************************************************

While governor of that great state of the Golden West, Ronald Reagan
decided to throw a backyard BBQ and party for his friends at his
home in Sacramento. A number of families attended, so there were kids
running here and there and kids playing in the pool.

Mr. Reagan was surrounded by friends, enjoying a conversation, when
he suddenly jumped up, ran to the pool, and dove in. Seconds later, he
surfaced with a young black boy in his arms. It wasn't clear how he knew
the youngster was on the bottom of the pool, maybe the other kids were in
a panic over him. Or maybe he was keeping an eye on all of them while he
was talking.

After making sure the child was okay, the drenched governor returned to
his friends and quipped about his "Mickey Mouse" wristwatch that had
stopped working. At that point, the caller took a Polaroid picture of the
scene.

Wanting to publish the picture and tell the story to the local newspaper,
the young man (caller) was dissuaded by his father. The incident never
made the news.

Saturday, June 5

Something Snailworthy

---
Granddaughter Angel has discovered the friendship of the
backyard snail. And since we have zillions of them in Grandma
Skinner's old ivy that she used to grow in San Luis Obispo,
Angel has a zillion new friends.



She likes to pair them up and give them rides on her little
cart, or put them in a bright yellow plastic cup and add some
grass for them to eat, or let them slime their way across her
hand. Their telescoping antennae with the little black 'eyes' on
the ends fascinate her, of course.

I was thinking: are there any slimy people in my life that I can
call 'friends' even though most folks would just rather step on them?